Question: Can I Get Bonus Points on More Than One Amex Hilton Card?
Our question this week looks at whether you can get bonus points from a welcome offer on more than one Amex Hilton Card. Is this allowed? When? What are the rules? Let’s take a look. The answer should make you happy.
The Question
Our question this week comes from Brian in our Facebook group:
Can I close my Hilton amex cards and then get new ones to take advantage of the points offers? Is there a waiting period?
American Express Application Rules
From our guide to credit card application rules, these are the main things you should know about Amex:
- Maximum of 5 credit cards.
- A maximum of 10 cards without a preset limit.
- 2 cards in a rolling 90 day period.
- Welcome offers are once per lifetime.
- 7 years used to be considered a lifetime with American Express but we are not so sure now. It could be more like 4 years. The lifetime clock starts once you close the card not when you get a welcome offer. Upgrades and downgrades will count against you.
- A pop-up will alert you if you are not eligible for a particular welcome offer.
- Continually opening cards just for a welcome offer, closing the cards in a short amount of time, and then repeating this process can lead to account closures from the Rewards Abuse Team (RAT).
Notice that nothing in this says “only one Hilton card in your life”. The same applies to the Marriott and Delta co-branded cards, as well. You can get more than one–even at the same time!
Getting More Than One Amex Hilton Card
Assuming you meet the application rules outlined above, you can apply for more than one Hilton card from American Express. You need to be eligible and get approved, obviously, but there’s no rule saying you can only get one of these at a time, that you can’t ever get a welcome offer / bonus points from more than one — none of that.
Thus, you can get the welcome offer from all of the Hilton co-branded cards at some point in your life. Amex also will allow you to hold more than one Hilton card in your wallet at the same time.
Here’s a sample of the terms from American Express:
Welcome Offer not available to applicants who have or have had the Hilton Honors Surpass® Card or the Hilton Honors Amex Ascend Card. American Express may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.
So, the answer to Brian’s question is “yes”! There’s no mandatory waiting period and nothing against having more than one Amex Hilton card at the same time — so long as you meet the general application rules.
Final Thoughts
Brian is onto a good point here. Maximizing welcome offers can allow you to earn a bunch of Hilton points. And having more than one of these cards helps you add up those points while also taking advantage of their different benefits. Some have the benefit of a lower fee while others will offer you status or better earning rates. Combining these allows you to really maximize your points earning.
Have a question? Ask in our Facebook group or email me at ryan[at]milestomemories.com
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